Another large bowl, this time from a big chunk of live oak that's been sitting around in the Texas sun on my driveway for several years. After making it round on the bandsaw it was about 16" across and wound up at 14" wide and 4.5" tall. Live Oak is extremely hard and dense and I had to resharpen my bowl gouge about every 5 minutes or so. Some intermediate turning shots:
I lost a big piece due to a bark inclusion so I had to turn it down another inch or so. Fortunately I was not standing in the line of fire when it flew off.
Flipped it around to start hollowing. Lots of shavings.
Most of the shaping is done.
I left a little of the bark inclusion because I like the way it looks.
Time to fill the cracks and worm holes with some brass and epoxy. The brass powder is mixed into a 30 minute epoxy to the point that it becomes like a putty and you just press it into cracks and holes. It is at this point that you wonder if you just ruined it with some drab green epoxy. Fortunately after sanding away the excess and polishing, the brass starts to shine. I sanded to 1000 grit and then polished and finished with Ack's sanding pasting and finishing wax which gives the wood a nice rich color.
A few close ups of the brass inlay
I made this for a Texas Forestry Association auction that raises money for forestry education programs around the state.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
